DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I'm left a bit flat by this big German bruiser, which surprises me. The seats are fantastic, the infotainment system is easy to use and the whole car smells of fine leather and wood. But as a package, particularly a $90,000 package, the 2012 Audi A8 L 4.2 FSI is not my favorite mode of transport in the segment.

Issues begin up front with the engine: It's smooth as glass, seamlessly coupled to an eight-speed automatic, but Audi's 4.2-liter V8 feels just adequate in a car of this size. Once at speed, highway ride is exquisite, but there's just not the snap that I've come to expect from competitors such as BMW. Steering assist was also a bit nonlinear, again surprising for an Audi. Perfect at higher speeds, the assist seemed to go from overboosted to overly heavy on side streets.

Really, though, the biggest problem with the A8 is the Audi A6. The company's midsizer is so damn good that it offers 90 percent of the A8 experience for half the price, all the way down to the exterior appearance. Even a seasoned car nut would be hard-pressed to definitively call an A8 versus an A6 at freeway speeds.

If it were our $90,000, we'd be seeking a bit more power and exclusivity.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: So you just plunked down $90,000 for your Audi A8 and some punk pulls up next to you at a stoplight in his A4 and his car looks exactly like yours only smaller. And he spent a third of what you did. How's that make you feel? In other words, I sort of agree with Stoy that the A8 looks like an A6, but I say sort of because actually, I think it's even worse: The A8 looks too much like the A4, never mind the A6.

The car drives wonderfully, though, that's true—silky smooth and near silent. It's all so formal though, not a lot of flair here—beautifully built with exquisite materials, but no sense of humor. Yes, the steering could use a bit more heft and feel, but that's how I feel about all Audis. The engine-trans combo is flawless in terms of smoothness. I thought the amount of power was basically spot-on. No, the A8 doesn't leap off the line, but the power builds quickly and, man, is it ever smooth. I loved the way the shifter looked but hated the way it works. I found myself rarely finding “reverse” or “drive” on my first try. Annoying.

I'd be tempted to forgo this for the big Jaguar XJL, if for no other reason than the Jag is different, at least. Or, yes, Audi's own A6, which is a fine car in its own right.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: OK, let me be the contrarian of the group here. I'd take this over any of the other German top-end über sedans from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The only thing this car leaves me with is lust—lust for more seat time and the longing for a lengthy, cross-country road trip in which to further exploit the talents of this car.

The interior is just the beginning: There is nothing finer for less than $100,000 anywhere. It is beautiful, comfortable and library quiet. In a car of this stature, I'm not looking for whimsy, but rather elegance, and this delivers just that. The leather, the wood and the trimmings are exquisite. This is simply the best interior in a production car today.

The infotainment system is as straightforward and easy to use as any system rolling down the highway. The sound system is like a concert hall. The ambient lighting gives you such a warm feeling that I wanted to stay in the car once I got home, and I got home in a hurry. It was one of those glorious days on the freeway when everyone wanted to travel way faster than the posted limit. And I mean everyone but the right-laners, and with this A8 underfoot it was a terrific drive. The car is whisper quiet at speeds that, if caught, would most likely land you in front of a judge. The solid feeling you get from the A8 is also something you'd expect from the company's flagship sedan.

I have no problems with the A8 looking like the big brother of the A4 and the A6. It is. But there is no mistaking the A8 from its smaller, less expensive (if you can call $50- large-plus less expensive) siblings. This is the A8. It is more of everything of those two cars.

The V8 has more than enough oomph to let you play in the left lane of the autobahn. This is an example of just how good it gets at the top end of the luxury-car ladder. It's a mighty fine view.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I was refreshed after an evening in the A8, and I find myself agreeing more with Hart that this is an impressive execution of elegance. The A8 is fighting some heady competitors, including the Jaguar XJ and the BMW 7-series. I'd take the Jag over this Audi, but perhaps I would give the nod to the A8 over the Bimmer. Really, in the super-dreadnought class of sedans, they're all outstanding. The question is which one is best, and perhaps more succinctly, which one do you like the best?

The cost, while reasonable for this segment, is undercut by smaller, sportier cars. The S4, for example, offers a ton of value and performance for a lower sticker. Frankly, the A7 is even better looking, to my eyes, which creates another issue. That's an observation that's not unique to Audi, as I would take a 5-series over a 7-series, which share a strong family resemblance and offer similar content.

Perspective aside, it's hard to be disappointed when in the driver's seat of the A8. It is comfortable, gorgeous and well-appointed. The sheetmetal is well-tailored, the headlights and taillights pop with just the right amount of bling, and the rollers are spectacular.

This cabin reminds me of Detroit's famous landmark restaurant, the Whitney. It's quiet, classy and almost like a library, as Hart notes. I found the buttons in the center to be clustered too much. It's civilized to use, but when looking at it from the driver's seat, it's a bit daunting. That seat is beyond comfy, too.

The engine is silky smooth, powerful yet not overdone, the eight-speed transmission is butter and all-wheel drive adds a confident demeanor to this thing. Still, the rear-wheel Jag and Bimmer have that intangible feel that some enthusiasts will crave.

If you can afford a car such as this, really you're just nitpicking over the details. It's like a gilded choice from a bygone era: Do you want to book passage on the Queen Mary or the Queen Elizabeth?

SENIOR ROAD TEST EDITOR NATALIE NEFF: I suppose my take on the Audi's big autobahn-burner straddles that of Stoy's, Raynal's and Hart's. Yes, the A8 cost factors more than its smaller stablemate while offering much the same look, similar content, etc. But the actual experience of driving the A8 is wholly different than that of the A6. It's a stately ride, with an on-road demeanor that the A6 can't touch. The power is not overwhelming, but neither is it doggy. I think much of the sheer propulsion of the 4.2-liter V8 is masked by the car's mass, the wonderful noise isolation of the cabin and the smoothness of the adaptive suspension. Audi claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.8 seconds; I want to believe it.

Is it worth $90,000? I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. For anything in this class, how much a car costs doesn't even enter the conversation for me anymore. This class of vehicle costs what it does. The price of entry for a Mercedes-Benz S-class is the same; a base BMW 7-series, with a 315-hp turbo six costs “just” $72,000. Who really cares which is the better bargain? Half of what you're getting with any of these cars is the perception of prestige, and to the folks for whom that is important, trying to compare the relative value of an A8 to an A6 is moot. No, it's less than moot, it's a nonargument, period.

That said, I do have one major quibble with this car, and it's not the steering or the power or the relative exclusivity. The brakes drove me nuts! With every press of the brakes, the first, oh, 15 percent of the pedal's travel resulted in . . . nothing. Just that unnerving sense of freewheeling I hate with pedals that don't engage immediately. Every time I needed to slow quickly from whatever speed, my heart skipped a beat when the car didn't react immediately to my foot. In a car for which I'd otherwise opt over everything else in the class, that would be a deal breaker for me.

For more information: Check out the 2012 Audi A8 L 4.2 FSI at shopautoweek.com.

Andrew Stoy
- Digital editor Andrew Stoy is an avid enthusiast of all cars who has spent the past 15 years writing about the automobile in print, online and for advertising and PR firms.
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